Wat would happen to stainless steel if?

Question

wat would happen if i put nitric acid on stainless steel? please tell the slightest details. thank u

Answer 1

It is interesting you can clean stainless steel with concentrated (72-74%) nitric acid without damage, but if you use dillute nitric, it will etch the metal. This somwhat odd behavior is believed to be because the strong oxidizing effect of concentrated nitric acid causes a thin layer of oxide to form which seems to protect the metal beneath. Apparently, this protective film does not form with the dillute acid.